Fox of the Akatsuki
by kusaitu-baka
Summary: Naruto leaves Konoha with Itachi and they join Akatsuki. What awaits Naruto in the future with the evil organization? Little angsty in the beginning. Rated T for cursing. One-sided ItaNaru and PeiNaru in the future.
1. prologue

A/N: Aaa... This is my first fan fic I willingly show to anyone, so please be gentle. No flames, please.

Ah, and this will be PeiNaru(+ onesided ItaNaru), and there will be (hints in the least) SasoDei, KakuHida, ZeTobi and KisaIta somewhere in future too. So there will be yaoi - don't like, don't read.

...and if you absolutely like Sasuke and Sakura, I don't recommend this to you.

Disclaimer: Kusaitu-baka doesn't own Naruto, if she would... well, there would be differences.

-----------------------------------------------------------

**Prologue**

Naruto didn't want to be there, but he was - running away from the villagers of Konoha. They were insulting him with words '_demon'_, '_monster_' and alike.

He was eight and tired of his life. He knew why everyone hated him. He knew why no-one in the ninja academy didn't want to be his friend. And that didn't help him at all.

He had met Kyuubi; the fox himself had told him that he was sealed inside Naruto by the 4th Hokage, but when Naruto had asked why Kyuubi had attacked Konoha, the fox hadn't answered.

Naruto stopped for a moment, resting his back against a wall – panting like no tomorrow. _I hope I lost them…_

But there was no hope, soon he was surrounded by a gang of villagers. Some had weapons, some sticks.  
No-one was going to hit him with bare hand, in fear of getting them tainted by the demon.

After only couple of hits and many new bruises that would be okay tomorrow, Naruto didn't want to take it anymore.  
He finally had enough of the village blaming him.

_Kyuubi… Help me! _He called to the demon inside him.

And the fox obeyed.

That night Naruto killed and used Kyuubi's power for the first time.

_On the other side of Konoha – at Uchiha component_

Itachi Uchiha had seen enough of the pathetic clan that he was ashamed to be part of.

His clan had wanted to take over Konoha. Such foolish punch of people they were, imagining to be invincible only because of their bloodline limit.

He had taken the mission hokage had given to him, even if he wouldn't had to. He had slaughtered his whole clan.

He didn't even feel much regret.

He looked at his bloody sword and then at the dead bodies of his parents.

The he head a silent call of his foolish little brother. Sasuke had come home, he noted.

It didn't take too long for Sasuke to find him and the corpses of their parents.

"Big brother?" Sasuke asked, standing on the doorway – shocked. "W-what happened h-here?"

"I'll show you, foolish little brother."

And so Itachi trapped his foolish little brother on genjutsu-world of Tsukuyomi and did just that.

When he released the genjutsu, Sasuke was holding his head with both of his hands, shivering all along.

Before knocking his little brother out, Itachi told him to cling on the life and get strong to take a revenge on him - then he left without a trace.

-----------------------------------------------------------

I'm sorry it's short. The future chapters will be short too.

Please review (or not). :3


	2. chapter 1

Okies, here's the second one. Hope ya like.

Kusaitu-baka owns nothing of Naruto, but the idea is her own.

----------------------------------------------

**First chapter**

Itachi was carrying now unconscious boy in his arm. The boy had blond messy hair and was dressed in hideous orange jumpsuit. Yes, the boy was Naruto.

They had been running away from Konoha hunter-nins together for a week now.

Week ago Itachi had killed his whole clan, except his little brother Sasuke.

Week ago Naruto had been attacked by the villagers – again – and at last had had enough. He had used Kyuubi's chakra and killed fifteen villagers.

---flashback---

_Itachi was just going to leave the village, when he heard a weak and in some way familiar voice behind him._

"_Itachi-san… Where are you going?"_

_Itachi had turned around. He saw a little blond boy, dressed in his usual orange attire. A little boy who he had saved from the villagers many times – one more reason for him to hate the village._

_The boy seemed to be beaten by the villagers again. But there was something different in him._

_Boy's clothes were messed up by blood, which he could tell wasn't his. The blood in his clothes seemed like it had been plashing on him._

"_What happened to you?" Itachi asked._

_Naruto looked at himself. "Oh. Kyuubi helped me."_

_The boy sounded apathetic. Gone was his happy-go mask he always wore._

_Itachi felt his hate for the village just come more intense._

"_You didn't answer my question, Itachi-san. Where are you going?"_

_Itachi sighed, sounding some way longing._

"_I am going away from here. It's goodbye for us, Naruto."_

_Naruto looked at his savior, his only one who didn't hate him – besides the hokage. "Who will save me, if you're gone, Itachi-san?"_

"_I'm sorry."_

_Itachi turned around, attaching some chakra in his feet. He took couple of steps on the wall. He continued on his way up._

"_Wait", the boy called weakly, longingly to him. "Take me with you, Itachi-san."_

_Itachi stopped, looked down at the boy. He saw tears in Naruto's eyes. Those tears hurt him more than those his foolish little brother had cried._

"_I can't. You could be killed, Naruto."_

_He couldn't bring danger to the boy he hold so dear._

_Naruto chuckled, his voice now hollow._

_"I'm going to die here, Itachi-san."_

_The boy looked up to him; Itachi didn't see any emotion besides hollow sadness and longing in his eyes or face._

"_Let's us escape this place together" the boy continued._

--- ---

After those words, Itachi had taken hold on the boy – hugged him near him and they had gone together. They had left their homes together.

First Itachi had fought of the hinter-nins that were sent after them. It was difficult to him when he had to protect Naruto at the same time.

"I'm sorry for being a burden to you, Itachi-san", Naruto had said.

"No need to be sorry", he had answered.

After a while, they had been only running away – until Naruto had fallen unconscious from exhaustion. Itachi carried the body of the boy, noticing how starved the boy was. His whole form was thin. Like the boy was only made of bones and skin.

And now week had passed. He was tired, but he wouldn't stop no matter how long. He wouldn't endanger Naruto by doing so.

Kunai flew past him. Itachi cursed his exhaustion to hell. Three hunter-nins appeared in front of him.

Few more had him surrounded.

He took kunai in hand.

He won't die nor will he let Naruto die. That's what he decided.

Hunter-nins charged and he activated his sharingans.

Ready to defend himself, he took fighting stance.

But instead he saw a large sword wrapped in bandages and a man holding the sword. The man took the hunter-nins out fast and then turned to the exhausted Itachi and his little companion.

Itachi didn't let his defense fell, even if he was curious of the grayish-blue skinned shark-like man who had just saved him and Naruto.

"Found you!" the stranger said, his grin showing his whole row of sharp teethes.

"Who are you?"

The put his sword hang back to his back. "My name is Kisame Hoshigaki. I've been told to get you to join our organization, Itachi Uchiha-san."

Itachi raised a questioning eyebrow. "Organization?"

"Yup – Leader-sama wants you to join Akatsuki. He says you could be use to him or something."

Itachi tightened his hold on Naruto as he looked at the man.

"What is Akatsuki then?" he asked.

"Just a little organization that's goal is to take over the ninja world to stop the shinobi wars", Kisame answered casually, like it was most common goal in the world.

Itachi looked even more skeptical, but decided to follow the shark-like man anyway. It wasn't like he had any better choice.

He looked at the boy in his arms and sighed, he just hoped this wouldn't get them any more problems.

----------------------------------------------

Aaand there.

...I probably put the next chapter right away too, since I have this written to thirty-fifth chapter already (this ain't as long as it sounds though, the chapter are short)...


	3. chapter 2

Oh well, as I said. Here's the second chapter too.

I'm sorry for Naruto's OOCness, btw.

Kusaitu-baka still doesn't own Naruto… such as shame...

_--------------------------------------------------------------- _

**Second chapter**

Itachi and Kisame were walking through a rather dark and thick forest. They had been walking two days straight.

It made nine days of walking without real breaks to Itachi and five days of straight sleeping for Naruto. Itachi wondered how much did Naruto suffer from lack of sleep too.

"Oh, I haven't asked you yet", his companion, Kisame, mused. "Who is that brat with you?"

"He left Konoha with me."

Itachi's eyes were focused on the boy again.

"He seems important to you", Kisame stated.

"He is."

Itachi didn't know why he cared for the boy, but he did.

He had cared for him for the first time they had met. He noted to himself that he cared much more of the boy that he should let himself to.

"You didn't tell me who he is", Kisame pointed out.

However, Itachi didn't answer.

He was far too deep in his own thoughts.

---

Another day passed.

"Let's take a break", Kisame stated.

Itachi nodded, not really caring.

So they set a camp in the forest which they had been traveling through. It was quite late already.

Kisame set the fire, while Itachi put Naruto down and sat next to the sleeping boy. Kisame set himself rather near them, but still not too near.

They just sat in silence, until Naruto let out a muffled moan. Itachi's eyes immediately sat upon him, while he had been studying Kisame with them before.

Kisame too, out of curiousness, turned his head and eyes to the blond brat that Itachi had been carrying around.

The fish-like man was rather taken aback by the beautiful sky-blue eyes that the boy slowly revealed to the outside world by opening his eyes. Those eyes seemed to hold something that so young boy shouldn't.

They told so much of the boy just if you looked at them, that Kisame almost felt afraid – in a positive way.

Naruto's eyes looked around, searching for something and only seeing trees around him. He would've tried to sit up, but knew he couldn't when he had just woken up.

He seemed to relax immediately when he saw Itachi.

_I left Konoha with Itachi-san_, he remembered. The boy smiled at his savior and only real friend.

"Where are we, Itachi-san?" Naruto asked.

He smiled to Itachi, but his smile was still hollow.

This made Itachi curse the whole village of Konoha to somewhere even lover than hell. He pointed at Kisame anyway.

"He wants me to join some organization", Itachi informed. "So I've been following him."

Naruto felt how sleep left his body and so on, how he could now raise to sitting position.

"Are you going to join?" he asked, obviously ignoring Kisame.

"It depends", Itachi replied musingly.

Naruto looked at him, his eyes questioning him.

"If you will stay with me there…"

Itachi looked at the boy; his eyes telling how serious he was.

_--------------------------------------------------------------- _

OMG. There will be Pein in the next one! *squeeeeek* Okay, maybe not. 0/___\0


	4. chapter 3

_A/N: …I personally liked writing this. Since it has Pein makes his first appearance and all. I know he's quite OOC and will be even more in the future, but it's necessary for the story._

_You may also want to know that in this Tobi is not really Madara and Pein is the real leader of Akatsuki._

_Kusaitu doesn't own Naruto, but the plot is her own. _

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Third chapter**

They reached Akatsuki's base on the next day. Kisame had used his ring so the traps and barriers didn't try to stop them.

When they reached the basement, it didn't look like what Itachi and Naruto had excepted at all.

The basement they thought they would found was some dark castle or cave with terrifying evil aura which kept even sunlight from entering inside it.

But instead they saw a relaxed huge villa next to mountain, surrounded by forest. From its structure it looked like the houses in Konoha.

It was nothing they would, or could, have excepted.

When they were only couple of steps away from the basement, Naruto took Itachi's hand with nervousness.

Their convoy, the tall shark-like man Kisame, had said he would probably be welcomed to Akatsuki or at least to stay with them since he probably wasn't strong enough to be a member, but he was still nervous.

They were going to go in a basement full of S-ranked criminals so it was probably understandable.

Itachi looked at Naruto. He didn't take his hand away, just took a hold onto it. He was nervous too – even if he wouldn't admit it out loud.

Kisame opened the door, kept it open until Naruto and Itachi went inside and closet it after them and himself.

The two were looking around while they followed Kisame. They knew that one wrong thing to do and they would be killed.

Or maybe Itachi would survive, but Naruto would certainly be killed. They didn't want to find out.

Besides, they were both rather interested in an organization seriously wanting to take over the ninja world so they could stop the wars.

Kisame leaded them to their Leader's office.

--- At the office ---

The office was dark, and there was shadowy figure standing behind his desk. At least the leader (who they presumed the dark figure to be) seemed to be as dark as they had imagined.

"So, I see you have come here, Itachi Uchiha", the leader said.

Naruto cling to Itachi, taking hand full of his shirt to his grasp. The one who they were facing now was scary – at least if you asked him.

Itachi wrapped his arm around Naruto, to comfort him. He himself didn't show any marks of being afraid of the person he supposed being Akatsuki's leader.

"My name is Pein, but you may call me Leader if you join us. Will you accept my invitation?"

Itachi now looked at the leader of Akatsuki in thought.

"It depends if you will let this boy remain with me", he stated and nodded to Naruto.

Kisame, who had remained in the room with them, admired the thirteen years old boy from his courage to stand against their leader.

"Tell me why I should let this weak-looking boy stay within Akatsuki?"

Naruto looked up to Itachi, questioningly. Itachi nodded and the younger boy gulped, gathering all of his courage to stand before the man who was leader of Akatsuki.

They wanted to join the organization, they had decided so since that way it would probably be safer from Konoha's hunter-nins.

"I may look weak, and I probably still am at the moment, but I promise to train and be strong, and put my life on the line to Akatsuki's success."

"That doesn't give me reason to have fate in your skills", the leader stated with blank expression.

But even the leader was taken aback when the serene and hollow blue eyes turned to him. He saw how the boy must have been through the same kind of pain as he had in the past.

It made Pein hope that the boy _would_ have reason enough for him to let him join.

Serene expression on Naruto's face turned to slight, barely noticeable, smirk. He didn't feel so confident as he looked, but wasn't planning to let it show.

"I'm sure you will want the last living member of both Namikaze - and Uzumaki clan's under your command. Not to mention the Kyuubi no Kitsune's container?"

Pein's _(and Kisame's, but no-one paid attention to him) _eyes widened. A jinchuuriki, and a member of Namikaze clan, was willingly planning on joining him?

"That is a reason enough. I will allow you to remain within the basement and train. When you're strong enough I will let you to become an official member", after a while of thinking he stated.

Naruto nodded and out of politeness, he bowed.

"Now, what is your name, kid?"

"Naruto Uzumaki, leader-sama."

Pein nodded in understanding.

Then, Pein and Itachi discussed over his joining matters.

"You will remain as partner to Kisame here. Naruto will remain as your responsibility, but I guess you don't have any problem with that."

…And so, Itachi Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki joined Akatsuki.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Review if you please!_


	5. chapter 4

_A/N: Well, it's longer. I think I went a bit overboard with Tobi though… _

_Kusaitu-baka doesn't own Naruto._

----------------------------------------------

**Fourth chapter**

When Naruto and Itachi had stepped outside leader's office, with Kisame behind them (Pein told him to show them their room/s and around the base), they certainly didn't expect for someone with bright orange mask attack them with bunch of questions.

That's just what happened though.

The said guy with a bright orange mask that was, well, _bright_, was practically bouncing in front of them.  
"You're Itachi Uchiha, riiiiiight? We've been waiting for you, Itachi-saaaaan! Who's the one with you, Itaaachi-saaaan!? Ne, ne?!" A moment of breathing. "Kisame-saaaaan, Itachi-san doesn't answer meeeeeh!"

Kisame didn't say anything, just chuckled. Itachi and Naruto only stared at the masked one.

Tobi stopped his bouncing and stared at Itachi and Naruto, then tilted his head to side much like a puppy would. "I'm Tobi by the way."

"Nice to meet you Tobi…san?" Naruto replied, gathering his courage. Since he was going to stay here, it was better to get along with people, right? It wasn't like they would hate him too, right? "I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

Tobi was literally sparkling - it could be seen even beneath his mask. "No need to call me –san! Just Tobi is fine, Naru-chan!"

"Naru-_chan_…?" Itachi questioned all of sudden, in dangerously low voice. He paid no mind to that it would've been polite to answer masked guy's questions directed to him before interrupting on something else the one had said.

Tobi didn't seem to mind though. He probably ignored the dangerousness of Itachi's tone too.  
"Since Naru-chan is short and cute it's only natural, Itachi-san! Don't say you won't call Naru-chan Naru-chan!?"

"I don't", was Itachi overly calm reply, while he glanced at Naruto who seemed to be blushing. It was probably first real and some-what-honest compliment the boy had gotten from anyone besides Itachi himself – in ever. "You shouldn't either", he continued.

"Why not!?" Tobi cried.

"Because…" Itachi started, but didn't really know why Naruto couldn't be called Naru-chan. Because _he_ didn't want Naruto to be called Naru-chan by someone probably didn't count as a real reason?

Tobi jumped and made a dramatic pose, pointing at the thirteen years old Uchiha. "Ha! KNEW IT!"

"And you're not going to ask what Naruto's opinion of his new nickname is?" Kisame pointed out helpfully, while gesturing his hand towards the boy who still had blush on his face.

"Right!" Tobi said, smacking his fist to his palm. "Naruto-san, is it okay to you if I officially announce that your nickname shall be Naru-chan from now on to everyone?"

Itachi seemed rather bewildered for a minute, but took quickly a deep breath and returned his expressionless expression back. _It's Naruto's choice_, he reminded himself.

"A… It's okay", Naruto mumbled, unsure of what he should say. He didn't exactly apperceive to be called Naru-chan, but didn't dare to disagree either. And it would be first time he would be having a nickname besides something like _'monster'_ or _'demon'_. It made him feel like he belonged to the group… But then he reminded himself he had met only Tobi, leader-sama and Kisame-san until now – so he shouldn't start thinking of belonging to group just yet…if ever.

Tobi cheered and took off without saying anything more. They could hear from there how the said person announced cheerfully to someone "Itachi-san has come! He has someone with him and his name is Naruto, but we're going to call him Naru-chan from now on!"

"Oh, well", Kisame sighed. "Let's go to see your room then. It should be ready already for you Itachi-san."

The newest member of Akatsuki (even if he didn't consider himself one yet) turned to look at the other, leaving his previous task of staring in though at Naruto as he heard his own name. "Alright. And where will Naruto be staying?"

"I don't actually know."

Naruto, too, looked up at Kisame – who he noted was _a lot_ taller than him. He didn't say anything, just stared. Kisame sighed and knocked on the leader's office's room which was right behind him.

When he heard the faint _'come in, Kisame'_ from inside, he opened the door and peeked in.

"What now?" leader asked blankly – not sounding interested at all.

"Just that the brat doesn't have room, or even bed, of his own here", Kisame told him.

"…did Tobi already meet Naruto?"

The shark-man nodded, confused by the question. "Yeah, named him Naru-chan – why?"

"Tell both Naruto and Tobi that they will be roommates from now-on."

Pein knew, he just _knew_, that he would be regretting this decision later but pushed it in the back of his mind. He would deal with the regret later, when he had reason for it. There was no other solution to the problem that was the new unofficial member of Akatsuki without a room anyway, since the last free room now belonged to Itachi… And Itachi seemed too keen to the boy, so he suspected that if he would put the Uchiha and Naruto in the same room it would probably disturb Itachi's working.

"Alright…" Kisame shared Pein's feelings (minus the Itachi+Naruto+same room=BAD-part). He shrugged them off though, thinking it was only natural for leader to put two unofficial members in the same room and give the officials their own rooms.

Kisame bowed and left the room, leaving the leader in his own thoughts.

Pein sighed and looked around in his dark and gloomy office. Then he walked over to the light switch and pressed it so the lights came on. As the light were on the leader sighed from relief. Now he could at least see where he was going. He made his way to window and opened the black curtains which kept the sunlight away from his room too, making it look even gloomier than off turned lights. For a while he just enjoyed the sight and sunlight from the window.

And then he made the mistake to look at his desk. He saw a mountain of paper. Oh well, guess it had been left undone when everyone was visiting his room so often and he had to keep the lights shut… Sighing yet again the poor all-mighty Akatsuki leader and possessor of rinnegans went to do the paperwork he had been abandoning for few days.

---

"Okay, leader-sama said Naruto will be staying in same room with Tobi", Kisame told Itachi and Naruto while they were making their way towards Itachi's new room. Naruto was holding Itachi's hand because he was nervous again. In their way to hallway where every member's rooms were along they had walked past the living room where had been two Akatsuki members, Kisame had introduced them as Sasori and Orochimaru. Naruto had noted that Itachi seemed to know the Orochimaru-guy but didn't say anything.

"How many members there are in Akatsuki?" Itachi asked, again opening his mouth completely out of blue. On the little while they had been walking, Kisame had done all the talking while Naruto listened sharp and Itachi was on his own thoughts.

"Well, nine with you counted", Kisame answered. "Plus Tobi and now Naruto who are both unofficial members."

"May I have some information of them?"

Shark-like man shrugged. "You may ask for their files from leader-sama later if you wish." Then he stopped before one of the doors that was the second latest of the doors in the hallway. He dig keys out of his pocket and gave it to Itachi. "That's your room's key. Leader-sama doesn't like it when the doors are locked at daytime, but you may want to lock it when you're sleeping and when you're outside. Trust me in that."

Itachi raised one of his perfectly shaped eyebrows in questioning manners.

"…Well, it's because of Orochimaru. He has weird habits, like sneaking at others' rooms at night and spying them while they're taking showers…" Kisame trailed off.

Itachi glanced at Naruto, who seemed rather shocked. Itachi didn't care much if the snake-sannin formerly from Konoha would spy on him while he slept or was in shower… Okay, maybe he did care… but if the said snake _dared_ to stalk Naruto he would kill him.

"Tobi locks his door at night, right?" Naruto asked from Kisame, seemingly nervous.

"I don't know", Kisame replied honestly. "But I don't believe Orochimaru has nerve to stalk Tobi tough. Since even he doesn't want to get eaten…" he trailed off again.

"Eaten?"

"You're going to understand when you meet Zetsu", blue man stated and turned back to Itachi again. "I'll leave you here then, Itachi-san. The WC and bathroom are at the same way where we came from; it has a WC-sign on the door. The bathroom is the next door from it to right. Kitchen is on the opposite side from living room, the door is usually closed…" he stopped for thinking for a moment. "Oh, and my room is there" Kisame pointed at the door which was on the other side of them – and on the opposite side from Itachi's door. "You can always ask me if want to know something."

Then he turned to Naruto and stared at the boy for a while. Naruto felt nervous and gripped hand full of Itachi's shirt once again, but stood his ground (the best he could) and stared straight back.

Kisame smirked at the action. "Oh well, wait with Itachi-san while I go get Tobi", he said to the boy.

Itachi turned to look at his new room's door, put his hand on the handle and opened the door.

_It isn't that bad_, Itachi though while looking at the middle said bedroom. It was nothing compared to the overly-large room which he had had in Uchiha compound, but he hadn't even liked the room back there.

There was a simple wooden bed, a desk, a closet and a chair next to the desk. Nothing more, nothing less. Kisame had said he could freely decorate his room on their way there.

"Your room is bigger than my apartment, Itachi-san", Naruto told him while looking around. "And this whole basement is huge! I've never been in such big house before!"

Itachi stole a glance at the boy. "You're going to live here from now on, Naruto."

"…I'm going to get lost", said boy trailed of and opened the closet's doors just for the fun of it. He found an envelope and a black cloak with red clouds in it there. "Itachi-san! There's an envelope for you!"

_--- While at Konoha ---_  
Third hokage had been peacefully sipping his tea and signing papers when an ANBU had came.

"This is bad, hokage-sama!" the ANBU shouted. "We just received new information from Itachi Uchiha!"

"What is it then?" Sarutobi asked, remaining calm.

"We just found three dead bodies that _Kyuubi_ had murdered! And apparently Itachi has taken Kyuubi's vessel with him!"

"…and I was wondering why Naruto had disappeared too… It really took you almost two weeks realize this?"

"That's not all, hokage-sama! You know Akatsuki right!?"

"Yes, I do know the organization that has been gaining quite a lot attention to itself lately. How does that have anything to do with Itachi… and Naruto?"

"The hunter-ninjas that had been sent after Itachi – the only survivor of them said that Itachi was saved by Kisame Hoshigaki and that they were talking something about Itachi joining Akatsuki!"

Danzo decided just then to barge in hokage's office. Without knocking or doing something else as polite the said man walked over to Sarutobi's desk and looked straight to the said man to eyes. "You are saying Akatsuki has gotten our special wea- I mean jinchuuriki?" he asked from the hokage, slowly and very clearly. With lots and lots of venom dropping from his tone.

"That's what has happened", Sarutobi calmly stated. He wasn't so worried about Naruto, since he knew that Itachi would take good care of him – even if they really had joined an evil organization. He knew Itachi didn't make stupid decision, so he could trust Naruto to be as safe as jinchuuriki ever could be – and even with Akatsuki was probably better than remaining here for the boy.

"You don't even care that our precious secret-weapon-that-every-enemy-village-already-knows-about, I mean, jinchuuriki has been taken away!?" Gone was the calm and wise Danzo, because Danzo was now _royally pissed off Danzo_. He even forgot that he wasn't supposed to be calling Naruto a weapon when he was in Sarutobi's presence.

The ANBU member was slowly backing away from the quite literally fuming Danzo and the hokage.

"You do know that Naruto probably has left on his own free will?"

"I don't _care_ about his will! My precious weapon!" Now Danzo looked like he was about to weep, which made Sarutobi join the ANBU member in slowly backing away.

"Bring my precious weapon back!" Danzo pointed his finger at the third.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"Make him missing-nin or something!"

"…he wasn't even genin. He's a civilian. Civilian can leave the village if civilian wants to", Sarutobi was purposely repeating the word civilian.

"Then make him genin and then a missing-nin! I want my weapon baaaack!"

"I'm sorry, Danzo, but I can't and I won't do that", Sarutobi stated and Danzo left the office, but not before stomping like a little child.

He was _so_ getting his precious weapon back and tame it to his own liking! Little evil chuckle _may_ have escaped his lips while he was starting to form plans how to get Naruto back to Konoha – and maybe gain hokage's title to himself in the process… No, he would _definitely_ gain hokage's title in the process!

But first he would need a nice little organization-like thingy of his own to accomplish his plans… And it would need to be stronger than Akatsuki.

He returned to his house and went straight to his own office to make plans.

----------------------------------------------

…_I didn't mean to make Danzo so completely OOC… It just happened. I'm sorry; I'll try to keep him more in character in future._


	6. chapter 5

_A/N: …my inspiration left me, so this may be little sucky. Okay, maybe a little more than little sucky. Luckily it's returning already… Sorry for the wait?_

_Kusaitu-baka still doesn't own Naruto._

---------------------------------------

**Fifth chapter**

Itachi got the envelope from Naruto, it indeed was for him. Inside it was a letter and a ring.

_Itachi Uchiha,_

_This ring is your Akatsuki ring, and you must keep it always with you and on your right ring finger._

_And then there's the cloak, you probably already guess that it's part of our uniform. I hope it's in right size, you can ask for new one if it isn't. You get the rest of your uniform later._

_Hope you like your room,  
Konan_

Itachi humped at put the letter away, taking the ring and examined it. He had this strange feeling the ring held some special powers within it, but let it go for now and put it on. He glanced at Naruto who was examining the Akatsuki cloak curiously.

Naruto gave it to Itachi, smiling slightly. "It's going to suit you, Itachi-san", he said and Itachi took the cloak, a little warm smile on his face too. But then their warm moment was ruined.

"Naru-chan!" Tobi squeaked and Naruto was suddenly glomped. Both of them fell to the floor, Naruto laying on his back and Tobi on him, still hugging the boy. When Tobi let go, he raised himself so his masked face was in front of Naruto's own. Itachi didn't like the position they were one bit. "Sorry", Tobi apologized to Naruto and got up, helping the boy up too.

"It's okay…" Naruto said, looking up to the orange mask.

"That's good! Now, Kisame-san said Naru-chan will be staying at my room?" Tobi directed the cheerful question to Itachi, obviously ignoring the fact said Uchiha was glaring draggers at him. It almost appeared like he was testing Itachi's patience. Said person didn't answer.

"That's what Leader-sama said", Kisame told him instead.

Tobi squeaked out of pure glee and glomped Naruto again, this time they didn't fall. "I've always wanted a roommate!" he told to Naruto. Sure Naru-chan seemed rather timid, but he was going to change that! "We can share the same bed, Naru-chan! I have always wanted to sleep with someone in the same bed!"

Kisame smirked when he saw Itachi's eyes change to sharingans, but didn't say anything.

"I… I can sleep on t-the floor, thank you", Naruto said to the other unofficial Akatsuki member with little shutter in his voice. It took all of his self-control to not run to hide behind Itachi's back after all. And Tobi had only hugged him. Now the masked one wanted him to sleep with him in the same bed…?

Tobi shook his head. "No way! I have to protect Naru-chan from evil snakes, I mean Orochimaru! You don't want that pedophile to rape you, do you?"

"R-rape…?"

It was a miracle Tobi's neck didn't crack as he was nodding so vigorously and Naruto glanced nervously at Itachi. The boy didn't want to get raped, especially not by the creepy Orochimaru-guy he had met back at the living room.

"So Naru-chan must sleep with me, so I can protect him from evil pedophiles!"

"You could be counted as a pedophile too if you start sleeping with Naruto", Kisame pointed out to Tobi helpfully. Tobi fell silent and stared at Kisame. Itachi saw this as a good change to pull Naruto away from the masked nutcase.

"I'm a… pe-pedophile?" Tobi sounded broken.

Kisame panicked. He hadn't wanted to hurt Tobi's feelings! Now, what did Zetsu always say to make masked unofficial member of Akatsuki feel better? He frowned. Thinking hard. "No-no-no… You're not a pedophile!" A while more thinking, then he remembered. "Uh, you're a good boy, not a pedophile!"

In instant Tobi was cheerful again. "Yay, I'm a good boyyy!" he shouted and Kisame sighed in relief.

"Naru-chan! Let's go to our room!" Tobi cheered to Naruto and took his hand. Naruto nodded and let go from Itachi's shirt, which he had been gripping again, uncertainly. The masked one looked at Itachi and the Uchiha was sure Tobi was sticking his tongue out at him under his mask.

"Bye, Itachi-san", Naruto said with uncertainty in his voice while he was half-dragged out of the room by Tobi.

"Take care", Itachi said back, frowning. If he wasn't in a house full of S-ranked criminals who would probably kill him (not that he couldn't fight back), he would have taken Naruto away from the orange-masked guy and kept him in his room. But because he was, he didn't do so and obeyed orders.

When Naruto disappeared to the hallway with Tobi, Kisame looked at the young Uchiha. "Tobi will take care of him", he stated. "And they're only two doors away." After Itachi nodded, the shark-like man scanned the boy over – noting that he had already found the cloak and ring from the closet.

"Oh well, I leave you to your own peace now, Itachi-san", he stated. "I'll come to get you at morning so don't disappear anywhere."

_--- at Tobi's (and now Naruto's) room ---  
_Tobi's room was a complete mess. It reminded Naruto of his own little apartment back in Konoha. There was floor full of stuff like magazines, underwear and other clothing articles. Tobi's closet didn't have doors (it seemed like they had been ripped of) and that's why the clothes were dropping from there, since said clothes weren't folded in any way.

"I'm sorry for the mess", Tobi apologized cheerfully while Naruto's gaze wandered around the room. He walked over to the closet - and took a spare blanket from there. He gave it to Naruto. "You don't really have to sleep with Tobi if you don't want to, Naru-chan!" he chirped as Naruto took the blanket.

_Why did he say so then?_ Naruto pondered in his head but didn't dare to question the other. Next Tobi gave a pillow to him and he took it too. "W-where I'm going to sleep then?" he asked instead.

Tobi looked at him and cocked his head to side. "Weeeell, you can get the bed, Naru-chan!" he announced. "I'll be fine with on the floor!" Tobi was used sleeping on the floor. He did so often while he was on missions with Zetsu-san. He was confused by seeing the little smile on the boy's face that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I can sleep on the floor, Tobi-san. You've already been too kind", Naruto said in apologizing tone and looked just as sorry as he sounded.

For a mere second Tobi stood silent and then he glomped Naruto once again. "No, Naru-chan! I told you just Tobi is fine!" he cried while hugging the living crap out of Naruto. "And I will not let you sleep on the floor! If you don't let me sleep on the floor we shall both sleep in the bed! Please cheer up, Naru-chaaaan!"

Naruto panted when Tobi let go, trying to fill his lungs again with air. He had dropped the spare blanket and pillow to floor, but paid no attention to them. His mind was settled to make Tobi understand he didn't have to be making any kind of sacrifices of his own well-being to Naruto. "Its o-okay, you really shouldn'-"

The blond was cut off by Tobi right away. "Now shut up Naru-chan! You will sleep with me tonight!" he declared and took the abandoned pillow and blanket from the floor and threw them to the bed.

Even in his self-pity (and confusion over how kind Tobi was to him) Naruto couldn't miss how perverted Tobi's ranting about Naruto sleeping with him sounded. He didn't say anything of course.

"Tomorrow we're getting you a bed, that I promise Naru-chan", Tobi continued with his declarations.

Naruto hesitantly agreed in silent voice Tobi barely heard.

---------------------------------------

_Dear god…If I hear one "Naru-chan shall sleep with Tobi tonight!" I shall commit hara-kiri right away. I really shouldn't have used the phrase. …or spoke about raping… I feel bad of being mean to poor Oro-chan._


	7. chapter 6

_A/N: About Tobi=Madara-thingy: Yes, Tobi is Madara in this, but I like the thought Madara is really a goofball who becomes serious only when it's needed. So he will be like that… and I will not put Akatsuki's main goal to be Madara's sharingan reviving, because I hate the whole damned bloodline. Oh, and Madara kinda isn't the leader, but that's for later…_

_Me does not own Naruto._

_-----------------------------------------------_

**Sixth chapter**

In the next morning Naruto found himself being hugged by Tobi _again_. This time his fellow unofficial member was asleep though.

He remembered agreeing to share the bed with Tobi last night. Naruto struggled, trying to free himself.

Tobi opened his eyes slowly – of course no-one saw this though as he was sleeping with his mask on – and looked at the struggling boy next to him. "Mh, Naru-chan?" he mumbled. Naruto turned to look at him, frowning. For a minute it looked like the boy was pouting and looking much less timid than yesterday, but then that expression left his face and the boy looked timid again.

"Please let go, Tobi-s… Tobi", the boy said, sounding much like he was pleading. Tobi let go and jumped over Naruto and thumped on the floor face first. Naruto sat up and looked at his new roommate, who he supposed had failed in his stunt.

"Are you okay?" the boy asked as Tobi raised himself from the floor – fixing his mask and giggling.

"Yup", he said cheerfully. Naruto noted that he had sounded more grown-up when he had just woken up.

Tobi studied Naruto's orange attire for a while after he had put the lights on. It was bloody and the blood looked like it had been there for a good while. It was miracle anyone hadn't noticed the blood yesterday. "You need to change your clothes, Naru-chan!" he proclaimed and bounced to closet. How someone could bounce so early in the morning was beyond Naruto.

"You don't have any other clothes with you, right?" Tobi asked while searching through his clothes.

Naruto could guess where this was going… "No… but I'm fine with these, you don't need to-", he was cut by Tobi again. The masked one sighed turning to look at Naruto. "Don't start that again!" he told the boy.

Then Naruto got thrown by clothes that were way too big for him and told to put them on.

_--- in Itachi's room ---  
_The young Uchiha hoped Naruto had had better night than he had. He himself hadn't slept at all, being in alert from every sound that he heard from outside his room… and it certainly didn't help that someone had been outside his window the whole time.

Itachi's bets were on Orochimaru. It was just his luck to join the same organization with Konoha's most famous pedophile… he heard a crack outside, again. Itachi went to the window after he sensed another person behind his window. He opened the window just to see the old crouched man who he remembered to be called Sasori dragging protesting Orochimaru away with his tail-like-thing around the said snake. Itachi stood and stared. Then he twitched and heard someone knocking on his door. He went to answer it.

"Good morning, Itachi-san", Kisame said as Itachi opened the door.

"Morning", Itachi replied.

Kisame eyed the boy, and nodded to himself. "Shall we go to have breakfast then?" he asked.

Itachi stepped outside his room and pushed the door closed, not locking it as he remembered what Kisame had told him.

---

Soon the two arrived to the Akatsuki base's kitchen, where they spotted a blue-haired woman cooking and muttering calm curses under her breath and pierced man with his orange hair in high ponytail sitting on the chair placed at the leader's place on the dining table's end.

Itachi recognized the man as the leader, but from what he remembered of the man back at the dark office, he had had shorter hair and piercings in different places. He wondered why. The rinnegan was still there though.

Kisame bid his good mornings to the leader and the woman, who apparently was named Konan. Itachi remembered the letter he had gotten and supposed she had written it.

Pein turned to look at Kisame and Itachi. "Morning", he said, nodding – while Konan looked at Itachi.

"So you must be the Uchiha Itachi?" she asked, calmly looking at Itachi. Receiving just as calm nod as an answer she looked around. "Where's the kid you brought?"

"Here he is, here he is!" Tobi ran to the room, dragging Naruto along.

"Oh", was all Konan said as she raised an eyebrow – alongside with Pein and Kisame – at the blonde's attire. The poor boy's black shirt barely remained on him and the pants didn't stay up, even with the belt, so Naruto's had to keep hold on them. The boy looked too embarrassed to even speak. Itachi frowned.

"Naru-chan's own clothes were in terrible shape so I gave him my clothes!" Tobi explained, bouncing to the fridge and opened it. "I put his clothes on my laundry!" He took instant ramen out of the fridge, ignoring the fact it was in a box that read 'Kakuzu' on it.

He made the ramen ready for Naruto and put it on the table. "You like ramen right, Naru-chan?" he asked and guided, while still bouncing, Naruto to sit on the chair in front of the ramen bowl.

"T-thank you", Naruto mumbled, having already learned to tell Tobi not to be nice to him… and deciding to enjoy that someone besides Itachi didn't hate him. Then he turned to look at Itachi, remembering he hadn't said anything to him yet. "Good morning, Itachi-san", he said and looked around. "Umm, and leader-sama, Kisame-san and…?"

"Konan", the woman told him. "Nice to meet you, Naru-chan." She had heard Tobi's declaration last day.

"Good morning, Konan-san. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, but I suppose you already know that…" Naruto trailed off.

He got a nod from leader-sama and good mornings from everyone else and then started to eat his ramen. Ah, how he had missed eating ramen…

Everyone in the room stared at the blissful expression that appeared on the otherwise rather apathetic boy's face. At least everyone except Itachi who had gotten already used to it.

Suddenly after good while of silence they heard the front door open and then slam shut. Then there was lots of whining and someone was being dragged along the hallway.

Sasori appeared to the kitchen, dragging whining, wet and bruised Orochimaru behind himself. Pein looked at him with raised brow which clearly told Sasori to explain. Itachi looked out of the window to hide his satisfied smirk from others – only Kisame saw Itachi's face and he just stared with confusion at the young Uchiha, wondering why Itachi was so happy for the condition the snake was in.

Sasori glanced at Orochimaru quickly before looking back at Pein. "Well… Orochimaru was stalking this Uchiha here", he nodded towards Itachi who twitched. "And while I went to bring him inside, he accidentally dropped in a lake and I had to get him out of there with my tail because I can't swim you know, and since I have this terrible problem with my aim… you see what happened to Orochimaru." All this he said without any change in expression or tone.

Pein just stared at Sasori blankly. He knew the puppet master had excellent aim and that the only lake in the whole forest that surrounded their basement was in the other side of the said forest. He sighed and almost felt sorry for Orochimaru. Maybe he really would have if Orochimaru's whiny pout wouldn't have changed into very pedophile-like smirk as he saw Itachi sitting at the dining table. He tried to slither to Itachi, but Sasori's tail kept him in place. (And yes, Orochimaru does slither.)

Itachi glared at Orochimaru with his sharingans, ignorant to the fact the _inner Orochimaru_ was jumping in glee as he saw the sharingans he wanted so badly… Even though Orochimaru himself wasn't so in glee, he still chuckled.

Tobi decided to not care about weird and scary pedophiles and sat on the chair opposite from Naruto and looked at the boy who was slurping his ramen and glancing at Orochimaru.

From Naruto's point of view, the snake-person called Orochimaru was looking at Itachi in the same way as those terrifying girls back at Konoha, which were one reason why Itachi wanted to leave the village behind. If he remembered correctly those girls were Itachi's #1 fan girls and had even a fan club for the Uchiha prodigy… He shuttered at the terrifying memories as he and Itachi had run away from those rapid _things_ together. _Even though it was fun_, he admitted.

"Are you going to make a fan club for Itachi-san and chase him around too, Orochimaru-san?" he asked out loud – which certainly wasn't his intention – as he had been staring at the snake. After he realized what he had said he said silently "I'm sorry, that was rude of me", and started playing with the few remaining noodles that were still in his ramen bowl like they were the most interesting things in the world. He noted that the kitchen had become really silent, not even breathing was heard – and that he had quite many eyes on himself.

The silence was broken, but not by anyone who was in the room, but by a loud shout of pain and crash from the hallway where the bedrooms' doors were. Someone was heard running fast and then that someone burst to the kitchen. "He's going to kill me!" the person shouted and hid under the dining table – or at least he hid his upper body there, as his legs still remained at everyone's sight.

Naruto sighed in relief as everyone sifted their gazes to the newly arrived person and away from him.

Tobi on the other hand wasn't relaxed at all as he sensed someone walking towards the kitchen. "Is Kakuzu-san annoyed by any change?" he asked from the person under the table.

"Why do you think I am hiding you idiot!?" the person spat back, making Tobi frown under his mask at the insulting tone. _He_ certainly wasn't the person who was thinking it to be possible to hide from S-ranked missing-nin by putting you head under a table, so he really wasn't the idiot there.

As he could hear the steps the person, who he supposed to be Kakuzu, he went to action. Naruto made a small squeak of surprise as Tobi took the remaining ramen and the bowl away from him, opened the kitchen's window and threw the bowl (and ramen) out of the window. "You didn't eat ramen just now. You didn't even see ramen anywhere, Naru-chan!" he whispered to the boy.

Naruto didn't question Tobi, even if he really wanted to, and nodded.

Just then a person with a hood-like thing on his head and a mask covering most of his face walked in the kitchen, made a quick scan through the room, raised his eyebrow to his idiotic and annoying partner who was probably trying to hide under a table – deciding he could kill him later since seeing his partner whose name he didn't even bother to remember shivering in fright under a dining table was amusing enough for now. He too spotted two new faces, supposing the other be the rumored Uchiha prodigy who Leader was planning on asking to join – apparently the Uchiha had joined. Other of the two new persons was just a little brat so he supposed it wasn't worth of his attention. Instead he turned his attention to leader and nodded as a greeting. After receiving his reply he went to fridge and stared at his food box. Then he stared a little more.

"Tobi", he started in deadly low voice which made the masked one wince. "Have you taken my ramen again?" From Tobi's reaction he guessed he had guessed right.

Now, Kakuzu didn't like ramen at all, but it was cheap so he ate it.

"It wasn't me!" Tobi said and looked nervously around. He smirked under his mask. "It was him!" he shouted and pointed at the person trying to hide under the table.

The person jumped up and looked angry and nervous. "Don't lie, it wasn't me!" he shouted. "Kakuzu, it was that brat!" and now Naruto was being pointed at.

Kakuzu glared at the blond brat and then at his partner. "Is that so?" he asked grumbling.

Before Kakuzu's partner could answer though, he felt kunai on his neck and pair of sharingans glaring at him. "Do not mess Naruto in your own problems", Itachi warned saying every word slowly and every one of them dripping venom.

Kakuzu cursed in his head as Itachi retreaded and didn't kill his partner… now he had to do it by himself. And then he would get scolded again by leader.

"So it wasn't that brat", Kakuzu stated glaring at his partner. "First you try stealing my money and then you take my food too? Are you really in that much of a hurry to die?"

"Hah, like you could kill me", the still anonymous person declared.

At this point, Konan had sat beside Pein at the dining table, eating the food she had made as Pein kept sighing while Kisame had started chat with Orochimaru and Sasori, Itachi was still glaring at the two who had dared to call Naruto a brat and Tobi was planning an escape route for himself and Naruto who he decided was his best friend now-on, since they already were partners-in-crime (of stealing instant ramen from Kakuzu).

"You two have a mission in near-by village tomorrow", Pein informed Kakuzu and his partner out of blue as he remembered the said fact. "I'll give you the file with more details later."

Kakuzu nodded and his partner snorted, but they both left and Pein sighed from relief as he didn't have to clean any blood from kitchen floor today. At least not right on the morning… _Ah, it's still ten on the morning_, he noted.

Everyone in the room threw a questioning look at their leader as he panged his head on the table.

_-----------------------------------------------_

Whoo. I think I went and fooled around too much again… sorry?


	8. chapter 7

_A/N: …my inspiration has left me again. So that's why this is rather sucky. Again. Sorry. Hopefully my inspiration would be back so the next one would be better. u___u  
_

_Oh, and Naruto isn't mine._

---------------------------------------

**Seventh chapter**

After the breakfast Pein had lead Kakuzu and his partner to his office so he could tell about the details of their mission. Sasori had dragged Orochimaru away before the snake could start flirting with the poor Itachi. Konan had just gone somewhere and so on only ones still in the kitchen were Itachi, Naruto, Tobi and Kisame.

Itachi looked at Naruto before moving his gaze to Kisame. "Is here some good spot for training?" he asked from the sharkman. Naruto seemed to brighten up a little, understanding Itachi probably meant to train him.

"Well, we have one training ground…" Kisame trailed off. Sure, they had a training ground, but it wasn't usually used. Last one who had even visited the place was leader-sama and that was couple of weeks ago and he had came back almost immediately.

"I promised to leader that I will train Naruto so he will be strong enough to be a member, so bring us there", Itachi half-ordered.

Kisame hesitantly obeyed and Tobi, probably out of curiosity and lack of anything else to do, followed them.

---

As Kisame had supposed, the training ground was quite overgrown with plants again…

"Wow, this looks just like Zetsu-san's room!" Tobi shouted in awe and glee. "I get it! Maybe Leader-sama at last agreed to let Zetsu-san make his garden here!"

Itachi and Naruto just stared at the _huge_ vines climbing the logs that were sometime probably used to training and the grass that could almost reach Naruto's waist.

"You really don't use this place, do you?" Itachi sighed.

"Well, we are always away on missions…"

"And when they are here they just watch TV, eat or break things!" Tobi declared cheerfully while bouncing around Naruto. He stopped for a second "Oh, they sleep and argue too…" and then continued his bouncing.

"Doesn't matter, we can train here", Itachi stated, while feeling like burning the whole training ground to ashes. Instead doing so he just walked deeper to the grass that seemed to just get longer on every step. Hesitantly Naruto followed while Kisame and Tobi decided to remain watching further away.

Itachi watched Naruto deep in thought. He hadn't really trained with the boy before so he really didn't know his level. He knew that Naruto was his class's dead last and didn't know even the most basic jutsus though, but he knew it was because most of the instructors didn't teach him anything – or even bothered giving him good grades even if he was good at something.

"…Let's see", he started, more to himself.

--- _In Konoha _---  
Danzo was sitting behind his desk, doing stuff he usually did, as in making evil plans how he would become the hokage. This time his plots included taking Akatsuki down and getting Kyuubi's as his weapon too.

He was going to take down that stupid organization, get his weapon – Kyuubi, I mean – back and becoming the hokage and when he had Konoha under his command and Kyuubi at his side, he would take over the rest of the ninja world and so on rule the world.

His two guarding ROOT members watched him as he chuckled very evilly, already used to their leader's behavior. They were confused when Danzo suddenly halted and seemed troubled though.

What was Danzo's problem?

Well, he had already planned what he would do – but he had no idea how in the name of god was he going to do it.

Attacking Akatsuki straight ahead was out of question, even he understood that.

Sending his fateful ROOT members to spy them was hopeless too. It would be too obvious if new Konoha nin wanted to join Akatsuki all of sudden, right after Naruto and Itachi had joined.

So what should he do…?

Then he remembered the information that Jiraiya had sent to hokage about Akatsuki. Of course he shouldn't have read those, they were S-class information that only hokage should read after all, but of course he didn't care about that – since he was going to be hokage anyway.

He remembered that Orochimaru was part of the Akatsuki. Maybe he could make a deal with the snake.

"You!" he started, pointing at the ROOT member on the right. The member looked up at him. "Get your team and go to Rain country! I want you to make contact with Orochimaru."

Danzo wrote something in a scroll and gave it to the ROOT member. "I want you to give this to him."

"Yes, sir", the member replied and left right away.

--- at Akatsuki's so-called training grounds again ---  
In the mean time Itachi had made Naruto spar with him to test the boy's skills.

And to tell the truth, their audience – Tobi and Kisame – was amazed.

Neither of them had really believed the boy would have any potential in himself when they first saw him. When Kisame heard Naruto say he was last of the Namikaze _and_ Uzumaki bloodlines he honestly hadn't believed him. Tobi had guessed the boy was too timid to be a ninja and would need encouraging to even attack someone.

How wrong they had been.

Even though Naruto's movement were still sloppy and inexperienced, he obviously held potential – a lot of it to be more correct. He seemed to be observing Itachi's moves and learning from them, all the while his brains were working on different strategies – and always when they get new strategy the boy straight away took it on use.

It was amazing how Naruto keep – at least somehow – his grounds against Itachi, even if the ex-ANBU captain was holding back.

Only negative thing in boy's fighting – if you ignore those flaws that were caused by lack of training and experience – was the fact he himself didn't seem to do the thinking consciously, but out of pure instincts.

It made him almost look stupid.

Suddenly Itachi signaled the spar to end. Naruto stopped, panting and rather bruised – but the smallest of the bruises were already healing. Courtesy of the Kyuubi, Tobi and Kisame guessed.

Naruto made confused face at Itachi.

"To be dead last, you aren't that bad", Itachi stated, little smile on his face. Boy in front of him blushed.

"…and since your taijutsu isn't so bad, we probably should start with chakra control and the basic jutsus", he continued. "And you should study."

"Study?" Naruto asked and tilted his head to side, looking absolutely adorable.

"Math, history, literature…" Itachi listed and looked how Naruto's adorable confusion changed into a pout.

"Why?!" was Naruto's whine, as he dropped on the ground.

"Because it's good to know the general knowledge."

Naruto's pout didn't go away and Itachi sighed.

"…and because we need to get your intelligence to use", he continued.

"It's on use already!"

Itachi sat on the ground next to Naruto and patted him to head. "Of course it is. You're just not using it on its full capacity", he stated. "You hold huge potentiality in you, Naruto. And I'm going to train you so every bit of it will be used, okay?" Naruto nodded, making him smile again. "Good, because it will be hard – and I'm not going to go easy on you. And for you to be truly strong, you will have to study too."

Naruto seemed to think it over. Was becoming truly strong really worth of doing math problems…? And then he grinned at his own stupid question. "Okay, Itachi-san… or is it Itachi-sensei now?" If becoming strong would make Itachi proud of him, he would do math!

"Whatever you want, Naruto", Itachi said with a chuckle.

---------------------------------------

I somehow like writing Danzo and his plotting(even though he's hopelessly OOC)... humm... sorry?


	9. chapter 8

_A/N: …I have been wondering what Naruto's fighting style should be. I don't want to make him all super, but somehow Jashinist!Naruto has started to fascinate me. I haven't settled on anything yet though. If someone has ideas, I'll listen – I don't promise anything though._

_And the good news is that my inspiration has somehow come back, probably because I'm finally starting to get this' plot to form in my head…_

_Kusaitu-baka doesn't own Naruto. No matter how much she would like to… Does this really have to be written in every chap.?_

----------------------------------------

**Eight chapter**

Pein looked at Kakuzu and his partner as they were standing before his desk.

"Your mission is to kill this guy", he took a file of their target and gave it to Kakuzu. "Gather his bounty and a scroll. Information of the scroll can be found from the file too."

Kakuzu looked through the file and his partner wondered how he and leader could read in the dark. He himself couldn't even see where he was going there.

"Now, you're dismissed. Tell Sasori and Orochimaru to come here", Pein told the two and they left.

The all mighty leader of Akatsuki looked at the light switch longingly… How he wanted to press it so he could see, but he had reputation to keep.

His longings were interrupted though, when Sasori and Orochimaru came to his office, without even bothering to knock. He glared at them for it, but didn't say anything.

"You called", Sasori stated calmly while Orochimaru seemed to be daydreaming – about Itachi, no doubt.

"Yes. I have mission for you two", Pein stated while glaring at Orochimaru who didn't seem to register anything that happened around him. Sasori smacked him on the back of his head with his tail.

"Ouch!" the snake cried out and was about to whine more, but noticed he was in leader-sama's room. "Oh, leader-sama! Just the one I wanted to see!" he cooed at Pein. "You wouldn't mind changing Itachi-kun as my partner, would you?"

"No way", Pein stated sternly. "Now, back to that mission…"

Orochimaru was about to cry, but held it. Sasori listened to their leader while getting ready to smack his partner again if needed.

"I've send Zetsu to spy on Konoha in case they decide to try and get Itachi or Naruto back", Pein started. "And his report has come. It appears that Danzo, some old geezer from Konoha's council, has sent some of his Foundation members after us. I want you to eliminate these four."

Orochimaru smirked, but nodded alongside with Sasori.

"Right. Orochimaru, you're dismissed. Sasori, I have something to discuss with you."

The snake left the room, pouting since everyone seemed to diss him today. _It isn't fair_, he whined in his head and decided to find Itachi-kun.

Sasori looked after his partner and sighed. If their fighting style didn't go so well together he would have already killed him… He turned to look at the leader. "What is it?" he asked.

"Danzo's plans include allying with Orochimaru", Pein went straight to the point. "I want you to keep eye on your partner and let those ninjas give the message to Orochimaru. I want to see just how loyal he is to us."

"So I should act obvious to this?"

"Yes. Zetsu will follow you two, he will come back to the base in a hour. If Orochimaru agrees to ally with Danzo I want you to report it to Zetsu right away", the leader said and looked stoically at Sasori.

Sasori nodded and then dismissed himself.

--- _at the so-called training ground_ ---  
Naruto was bruised and exhausted, as he was trying to call his chakra forward. He was practicing the basics of chakra control so Itachi would start to teach him jutsus. It was a lot harder than he had thought. For those who weren't ninjas it would have looked like he was meditating, and he was supposed to draw a little bit of chakra out so he could get a hang on chakra controlling.

Itachi had sat next to Kisame and Tobi while waiting for Naruto to succeed. The young Uchiha was frowning as he looked at the boy and his training. He was bad at teaching, so he really couldn't give Naruto any tips. He had only shown the boy how to do it and was hoping he could get it. It seemed he couldn't though.

But why was it so hard for Naruto to do it? It wasn't that hard and he could see Naruto was doing it right.

Kisame glanced at the boy beside himself and saw his distress. It made him smirk. "Maybe he has too much chakra?" he suggested, his tone giving clearly his amusement away.

Itachi blinked couple of times, turning to stare at Kisame. "Hn", was all he said, if you can call that speaking, before glancing at Naruto. The shark just might be right. What to do now if Naruto was incapable of doing the simplest chakra exercise? He turned back to look at Kisame. "I take it so you know how to deal with that problem?"

"Sure! From first-hand experience!" Kisame declared, his grin exposing his whole row of sharp tooth.

Itachi stared at him in manner that clearly said 'well, start explaining what to do then' and made a note-to-self that he should get a _Teaching for Dummies_-scroll from somewhere.

"Oi Naru-chan, come here!" Kisame shouted to the boy, deciding to start calling him Naru-chan too.

Naruto stopped what he was doing and stood up, looking around so he wouldn't get lost on the grass jungle. He walked over to them and made a nervous grin. "Yes, Kisame-san?" he asked, hoping he hadn't done anything wrong.

"I noticed that you have too much chakra for this exercise", Kisame stated. "So try to call just random amount of chakra and start practicing to make that amount smaller, you get what I mean?"

Naruto nodded. "I… think so", he mumbled, little uncertain. He didn't say anything more, but looked at Itachi for approval. After getting a nod and a little smile from Itachi he went back to his training.

---

--- _with Orochimaru and Sasori_ ---  
The said two were sitting outside the basement, waiting for Zetsu and looking at the training ground that was little further away. Orochimaru was staring mostly at Itachi, but the training boy seemed rather interesting too. Kyuubi's vessel, he noted, seemed to be rather gifted.

When they both sensed the enormous amount of chakra that fired out of the boy, Orochimaru decided that the boy really was worth his attention too – of course Itachi came first though. Sasori didn't really care, he was just surprised.

Suddenly there was an rumbling sound and a plant appeared before them. Zetsu looked at Orochimaru and Sasori, finding Sasori glare at him.

"Oh Sasori-kun! You really should learn patience!" Orochimaru said off-handedly to Sasori, getting glared at in response and without saying more they left to do their mission.

----------------------------------------

I'm sorry that this one's quite crappy and short. Next one is probably going to be longer and there will _probably_ be some action in it – or at least in that one there will actually _happen_ something. I promise!


	10. chapter 9

_A/N: Ah, I know I promised to make this one longer… and put some action to it… Well, this is couple of words longer than the last one, yahoo..? Anyways, I hope I've made it up with lots and lots of Orochimaru molesting little boys. Don't blame me for having this strange urge to write about pedophiles… Maybe I'll write a fic completely focused on Oro-chan. Maybe I'll make it Oronaru. Or maybe I will not write it at all. Anyways, sorry for the wait, too. I've been writing my other Naruto fic, which I started a while ago. It's dark!Naruto, by the way. Maybe I will put it here. Who knows._

_I still don't own Naruto and I'm angsting because of it every day._

-----------------------------------------------------------

**Ninth chapter**

Sasori was leaning against a tree while he was watching as Orochimaru and two ROOT members conversed. The puppet master had already killed his targets and was now doing his other task, as in eavesdropping if Orochimaru was going to betray them or not.

Other of the ROOTs was a young boy, probably around the same age as Naruto. He was pale, had short black hair and wore and ANBU mask and same kind of black clothes as the another member, his just kept his belly nude – much to the boy's misfortune, as Orochimaru was eyeing him so hungrily it even made Sasori feel sick, despite the fact he shouldn't be able to - him being puppet and all. […you probably guessed already, so yes – it is Sai…]

The other was guy with grayish brown spiky hair and an ANBU mask and plain black ninja gear. He did almost all of the talking, while the boy was being too busy trying to stop the pedophile from feeling him up and not listening to his flirts – or more like, even though he didn't know what Orochimaru was doing he had bad feeling so he acted upon his indicts which of course told him to run away and fast.

"Come on… I've got candy", Orochimaru tried while slithering around the boy. It was then that the other ROOT noticed his teammates discomfort and Orochimaru's doings.

"Could you just please listen to me, Orochimaru-sama?" he asked, and if he wasn't trained to be emotionless he would've felt sorry for the boy.

So the eavesdropping Sasori was the only person there who pitied the poor boy who would probably be scarred for life.

"Oh, you were saying something?" Orochimaru asked from him while he embraced the poor boy close to himself by one hand – the other one was under the boy's shirt.

The older ROOT sighed. "Yes… Danzo-sama wants to make deal with you."

"Ooh?" Orochimaru faked being interested. "What would I gain from it?"

"It depends on what you want", he got as an answer.

"_Kukukuku…_I want sharingan and Uchiha Itachi-kun's body…" The younger ROOT shuttered when some of the snake's drool dropped on his hair, but as he saw the far-away daydreaming look on Orochimaru's face, he saw it as an opportunity to escape from his grip. His escape never succeed as Orochimaru's grip never loosened.

The older ROOT took a scroll from his waist and gave it to Orochimaru. "In this is a message from Danzo-sama."

Orochimaru read it, letting go of the boy who right away escaped away from him, and then he started chuckling. "Tell him I will agree… Kyuubi shall be his within a month."

Sasori's eyes widened. Kyuubi? Wasn't the fox sealed inside the boy Uchiha had brought with him? Why would Konoha want it back? He glanced back at where his partner and the ROOT members were. What could they possibly even promise to make the pedophile agree with them? …or on the other hand, he didn't even want to know. He just got up, making no sound, and left to find Zetsu and report to him.

Now that he thought about it, why did he have to report to Zetsu when he could just walk right back to the basement and tell the leader..? Maybe that was some secret organization thing.

---

Naruto had finished with his training and was now sitting with Tobi at the kitchen. Tobi was staring out of the window and when Naruto had asked why he had only said he was waiting for someone. So Naruto had just decided to stay there and stare out of the window too.

But as he got enough of the silence, Naruto decided to try to start a conversation. So he asked the first question that he came up with and that wouldn't make him look like a complete idiot: "Do you know how Akatsuki is going to take over the ninja world?" Maybe he was just imagining, but it seemed like Tobi stiffened before he went to the thinking pose.

Truth to be told, the whole Akatsuki didn't yet know how they were going to make their plans come true. Not even Tobi who was their true leader and the evil mastermind. He had already considered killing everyone, destroying the ninja villages, and making ultimate weapon out of all the tailed beasts and so-on killing everyone. Right now he was thinking the last one was the best plan, but they had yet to find a jutsu that could do it. Pein had one, but he didn't like the thought of someone else doing the most important thing in his plans than himself.

Then he noticed that Naruto was still staring at him and waiting for an answer. He smirked under his mask, he already had one of the demons in his grasp… Only eight to go. Ah, he just decided what his plan would be.

"I don't know", he lied to Naruto after he had – difficultly – stopped himself from chuckling darkly.

"Oh, okay", Naruto replied, at the same time he couldn't help but to question how could Akatsuki even be an organization if it didn't have any plans and how did it even stay whole. Well, of course there was the possibility Tobi just didn't know the plan but everyone else did.

He decided not to think about it for now and try his best to do what he was told. Not that he was told to do anything yet. His train of thoughts were interrupted though when Tobi cheered something that he missed and ran out of the room. Naruto glanced out of the window and saw tree people – Sasori, Orochimaru and someone who he didn't recognize – walking through the clearing where the basement was. Soon he saw Tobi bounce to join their company.

---

Sasori grimaced when he saw Tobi bounce to them, but of course no-one saw it since he was inside his puppet armor Hiruko.

"Zeeetsu-saaaaan!" Tobi cheered and glomped the plant-man, who didn't seem to mind – probably already used to his subordinates behavior. "How did your mission go?" Tobi asked while he let go of Zetsu and started bouncing around the three.

"It was very fun, Tobi-kun", Orochimaru said with far-away look.

"Speaking of the mission", Sasori started, glaring at Orochimaru. "What took you so long to _kill_ them - surely you aren't getting rusty…?" He of course knew Orochimaru hadn't killed them, but he still didn't know what took him an hour to come back after he had already left.

"Oh, the other of the ROOTs was just so delicious I just couldn't pass by the opportunity…" the pedophile trailed off and went back to his day dreaming – putting Itachi on the place of the young ROOT boy.

All the three other shivered and felt pity to the poor little boy who probably would be mentally scarred for eternity. It was Zetsu's white side that broke the silence: "We probably should go to give our report", which made Tobi stop his bouncing as he cling to Zetsu.

"Can I go with you, Zetsu-saaan?" he pleaded. After Zetsu had nodded they went inside together, leaving Sasori to deal with Orochimaru.

"I wonder what Itachi-kun tastes like..?" Orochimaru mused out loud, making partner shudder in disgust.

---

Tobi knocked on the leader's office's door and after he and Zetsu were called they went inside. Pein was sitting behind his desk and was looking quite troubled. He had been trying to fill some paperwork and info of potential new members, as Kakuzu probably was going to kill his partner soon – he had tolerated this one a whole month already, so it wouldn't be any surprise if the guy didn't come back from their current mission.

"Having issues?" it was Tobi who asked, his voice now serious.

"Yes…" Pein sighed and looked at Zetsu with a raised eyebrow.

"According to Sasori, Orochimaru agreed with Danzo", the plant-man answered the unvoiced question. "**It seems that Danzo wants the Kyuubi.**"

"The nine tails?" Pein mused, out loud. Tobi went on a thinking position too.

"That bastard probably wants to make its vessel as his weapon", Tobi muttered, sounding annoyed. He was not going to give Danzo Kyuubi – or Naru-chan, for the matter – since he had already decided he would need it. "We're not giving Naru-chan to him. We will be the ones that will use the nine tails."

"Oh, **did you come up with a plan already, Madara-sama?**" Zetsu asked.

Tobi nodded. "Yes. We will use that technique of yours", he pointed at Pein. "And make an ultimate weapon by collecting all the tailed beasts."

"Itachi probably doesn't agree with killing Naruto", Pein pointed out. He himself didn't have much problems with it, but he wasn't so thrilled by the idea of dealing with the Uchiha prodigy. The fact he felt sympathy for the boy didn't matter at all.

"He's isn't a problem", Tobi stated off-handedly before staring at Zetsu. "I want you to go and find the jinchuuriki. Pein, you perfect that technique of yours." Then he changed back to the usual cheerful idiot and bounced out of the office, shouting "Bye-byeee, Zetsu-saaan, Leader-samaaa!" before slamming the door shut after himself and going off to find something to do or someone to annoy.

"I'm not going to get used to that, ever", Pein muttered before going back to do his paperwork. Zetsu just shrugged before sinking to the floor and going to do what he was told.

-----------------------------------------------------------

_And before I go, there is still this issue that is Naruto's fighting style. I've ditched quite few ideas already and now I've been torn between making him a puppeteer or giving him a huge-ass sword which he shall wave around like crazy, or giving him skills in both sword waving and puppeteering (now, is that even a word?)… Maybe I'll put up a poll, since I'm bad at deciding. I think I will, if you want to vote, well, please do~_


	11. NOTE

I'm sorry to say this, but Fox of the Akatsuki will be re-written. The reason for it is because I lost the inspiration for it. I really thought it would come back, but now I know it won't. But I still want to write this story, so that's why I will be writing it again. The new version will have different plot-process, but the idea will be the same still. _And I promise it will be better._ I don't know when it will be up, but it will. So please forgive me for this and, if you would like, wait and read the new version.

Again, I'm sorry for those who wanted this to continue.


End file.
